Page 23 - Demo

Slippery Rock Gazette
Browns Canyon Sandstone
January 2025 | 23
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NSI and ISFA Announce Silica Exposure Literature Review
Local Quarries; Local Fabrication
Mountain Valley Stone partners with its sister company, Delta Stone Products, for fabrication and distribution of their stones. This facility is located in between the two quarries, keeping the entire sup- ply chain close to home, which saves both money and time.
Certified Sustainable from Quarry To Fabrication
Mountain Valley Stone is a platinum rated quarry by the ANSI/NSI 373 stan- dards. To minimize waste, 95% of all the material mined is used either for landscaping stone, building products, or aggregate. The other 5% of material that cannot be used for stone products is used for reclamation purposes, making
The main quarry near Peoa, Utah covers more than 150 acres. A sister company, Delta Stone Products, also handles fabri- cation and distribution.
the entire operation highly efficient. The quarry also uses water that is collected in the mine for dust suppression.
Delta Stone Products is a Platinum Certified sustainable fabricator, a dis- tinction only awarded to two fabricators in the U.S. and Canada.
In an era where just about any company can try to boost their environmental cred- ibility, an independent, rigorous standard is the real deal. Because of this rigorous certification, architects and homeowners can be assured that stone for their proj- ects is produced to the highest standards in the industry. By making sustainabil- ity a priority, the entire Mountain Valley Stone operation can keep its eye on the future and help to ensure that these beau- tiful mountain landscapes are preserved for many generations to come.
Karin Kirk is a geologist and science educator with over 20 years of experi- ence and brings a different perspective to the stone industry topics. Karin is a reg- ular contributor to usenaturalstone.com, NASA, and the Slippery Rock Gazette. Contact her at karinkirk@gmail.com . This article is part of an ongoing series about American quarries.
NSI and ISFA are proud to present a literature review that sum- marizes the growing library of studies related to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) exposure. Completed by Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the study covers 34 publica- tions and documents focused primarily on materials and work methods specific to RCS exposure from the fabrication of natural and engineered stone countertops.
The study of this literature aims to show- case key findings, trends, and conclu- sions from the publications, and highlights strengths and weaknesses from each. The anticipated result of this review was to identify the primary cause(s) of risk for RCS exposure and to identify effective con- trols and work methods to reduce or elimi- nate future silicosis cases. A major finding of this review is the need for additional and more detailed research into products, con- trol strategies, and the need for increased RCS workplace air sampling and medical evaluations of workers.
NSI and ISFA are hopeful that by sharing this information, industry stakeholders will gain a better understanding of best prac- tices and effective control strategies. We
also hope that this will lead to safer work- places for industry stakeholders and their employees.
The full literature review can be found online on NSI’s silica safety page. A sec- ond report analyzing data from a recent air sampling study from NSI and ISFA mem- bers will be available later this year. An additional literature review on medical-re- lated studies is planned for 2025. Learn more at www.naturalstoneinstitute.org/ silica.
“Agriculture is not crop production as popular belief holds - it’s the production of food and fiber from the world’s land and waters. Without agriculture it is not possible to have a city, stock market, banks, university, church or army. Agriculture is the foundation of civilization and any stable economy.”
- Allan Savory